Nigeria degenerating into failed state —PFN President

National President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Reverend Felix Omobude, has said the country was degenerating into a failed state.

He also faulted the claim by President Muhammadu Buhari that those responsible for the killings were not herdsmen, but fighters who had infiltrated the country from outside, just as he bemoaned the lingering attacks by suspected criminals.

Omobude made the observation during an interaction with journalists in Benin City, where he lamented the persistent killing of Nigerians by herdsmen and other criminals, which he said had gone unchecked.

He said: “There is hardly any day that you do not hear of bloodshed – killings either by Boko Haram through suicide bombing, or herdsmen killings across the country. The PFN is worried as Nigeria is degenerating into a failed state. Whereas we have a government in office, it appears that this situation is overwhelming our security forces. We are calling on the government at the various levels to ensure the safety and security of Nigerians, irrespective of tribe or religion.

“I fault the claim by President Muhammadu Buhari that those responsible for the killings were not herdsmen, but fighters who had infiltrated the country from outside. I will hold the current administration to their campaign promises of change for the better. We call on the president, his government and the ruling party to take a look at the promises made to Nigerians and make every effort to fulfil them.”

Describing the herdsmen said to be responsible for killings in the country as terrorists, he said even “if these herdsmen are from outside, it is the government’s responsibility to check the borders and fish them out. Government should do the needful. Honestly, whatever language you use to describe their activity, it all points to terrorism. People go out and say that they are cattle rearers, only to spring up and bring AK47 rifles, kill owners of the farms, rape their wives and disappear into thin air. It is terrorism.”

Responding on whether the president had done enough to address the problem, he said: “I will leave that for Nigerians to decide. What the PFN is saying is that it is the responsibility of government to safeguard the people. So, if it were enough, we would not have been crying. The cry is all over the place, across party lines. When we are dealing with this issue, we should not be thinking about parties. We want it stopped; it does not really matter to us which party is ruling. We want good government. We want peace and security for all Nigerians.”